Movie Makers, Dec. 1937, 602.
United States
English
1200 ft
16mm
B&W
Optical
"In From the Sea, produced by Fenno Jacobs for Todd Shipyards Corporation, establishes a precedent this year, for it is the first 16mm sound film, directly recorded in this medium, to be offered for Ten Best consideration in the Special Class. But the fact that this film carries its own directly recorded sound is only one of its many unusual qualities. It tells an interesting and dramatic story of the manifold activities that make up a working day in a great shipyard, where the monster ships are hauled from their native element without ceremony and attacked by a swarm of workers who specialize in every known form of ship repair. By handling this material with great technical facility and by fine editing tempo, excellent choice of camera viewpoint and a flair for cinematic effectiveness, Mr. Jacobs has succeeded in creating an industrial picture which has a high general interest. Among the many noteworthy sections of this film is the sequence which shows the workers' lunch hour. It is outstanding for its fine cutting and for the dramatic pause which creates a respite from the Titanic activities of the working hours. Interesting also is the sound accompaniment which is an integral part of the film and which, in addition to a spoken commentary and spot recording of shipyard sounds, includes well chosen excerpts from Stravinsky's suite, The Fire-Bird, to establish a modern mood." Movie Makers, Dec. 1937, 627.
In From the Sea was the first sound on film production to be recognized by the ACL Ten Best.
"Some of the most effective sounds accompanying In From the Sea, by Fenno Jacobs, ACL, were rhythmic hammer blows, spot recorded in the shipyard yet later woven neatly into accents of Stravinsky's music." Movie Makers, Jan. 1938, 8.
Todd Shipyards Corporation, who sponsored this film, offered it on free loan to educational institutions (Movie Makers, June 1937, 307).
An ad for the film in Movie Makers (June 1937, 273).
Discussed in "Practical Films" (Movie Makers, July 1937, 339).
Do you know where this film is? Get in touch with us at amdb@ucalgary.ca.
Amateur Cinema